


Cerulean Spirits and Cinnabar Smoke

by orphan_account



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Arcades, Drinking, Explicit Sexual Content, Kissing, M/M, Marijuana, Recreational Drug Use, Smoking, Smut, the kissing tag always makes me laugh and idk why
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:07:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23271469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Galo is running late to Meis's birthday celebration at his favorite bar. He feels especially panicked about it, since Lio and Meis have recently started dating, and Lio had previously asked him to be a nearby anchor since he's nervous about being in his first relationship.But when he makes it to the bar, Lio doesn't seem to need him after all, and he finds himself spending the evening with Gueira. As the night goes on, Galo starts to figure out why Gueira elicits such warm and electrifying and breathless sensations out of his skin.
Relationships: Gueira & Galo Thymos, Gueira/Galo Thymos
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	Cerulean Spirits and Cinnabar Smoke

The winter air is cold and unforgiving as Galo stomps through the snowy asphalt of downtown Promepolis. He feels the chilly winds wrap themselves around his lungs in a glacial grip that weighs down and constricts his chest in a pressured permafrost. Any sweat that escapes from his pores stops sticky on his skin as the flurry of January kisses it cold. He watches his breath escape his lips in swirled white puffs of air; spiraling winter spectrals glowing against the dark canvas of night that taunt him to run faster.

He endures, though, because he promised Lio he’d be there for him. How could he let his best friend down in his time of need?

Easily, it would seem, because each of Galo’s sprinted steps are fueled by the guilt of having overslept after a particularly grueling twenty four hour shift at Station Three. He woke up in a hazy daze, limbs sprawled on his couch as Aina’s ringtone blared in his ears. _Where are you? You’re literally the only one who hasn’t shown up._ Realization dawned on Galo slowly until it finally settled and propelled him into thin jeans and not enough layers to brave the wispy snowfall blanketing the city.

So he runs through the concrete jungle, haphazardly crossing busy streets, leaving flashing headlights and frustrated honks in winter dust. His thighs burn against the chill in the air, spurring him to pump his arms faster, to push into the balls of feet harder.

But just as Galo’s lungs began to prune under the weight of his exhaustion, the red neon sign of his destination shines like a flare gun shot in the middle of the midnight sky in a pixelated pattern spelling out _Glitch_ . 

Galo checks his watch and winces at the accusatory numbers staring back, announcing he’s an hour late. He turns his gaze to the heavy doors of Meis’s favorite bar, strains his ears to hear the muffled chatter and smothered bass of the music blasting inside.

With a heavy sigh, he pushes through the threshold and his skin instantly defrosts as artificial heat gently caresses him into a warm embrace.

His eyes flit around the place, darting from corner to corner; the lights of the various pinball machines lining the walls along with the glow of the screens that read _Round 2_ or _Game Over_ were refracting off the cerulean edges of his gaze.

Galo grows a little frantic as he pushes through the crowd, carving a path towards the bar in hopes he’ll find a mint head of hair. He feels a familiar grip clasp his shoulder and smiles in relief at the sight of Varys beaming back with Remi, all pink-flushed and tipsy after only an hour, tucked beneath his other arm.

“Thymos, you’re late buddy.” Varys’s eyes widen as he registers Galo’s breathless demeanor. “Did you run here?”

“Yeah, I did,” Galo answers sheepishly, “I overslept big time, and I knew it was too late to find any sort of parking around here, so I figured running would be faster.”

“Of course you’d think that. I’m almost impressed, but you’re still late. Lio was looking all over for you earlier, but he seems okay now.” Varys points to the far end of the bar, where Lio and Meis are centimeters apart, giggling into the warmth of their whiskey before they share a chaste and sweet kiss. Gueira sits on Meis’s left, swirling a beer bottle in deliberate circles as if he were endeavoring in the wine tasting of his life.

“Seems like he’s a lot less flustered around his boyfriend,” Remi chimes with a slurred edge. “It’s about time!”

Varys laughs before tugging Remi closer. “Let’s go find Lucia and Aina, we owe them a game of air hockey. Galo, go say hi to Lio and the birthday boy.”

Galo nods and makes his way towards the former Mad Burnish trio. He was never one to master a stealthy entrance, so they turn to face him before he reaches them.

“Happy birthday, Meis! I’m so sorry I’m late. Work kicked my ass and I overslept. Next drink is on me!”

“Thanks Galo, and don’t worry about it. We’ve been having plenty of fun without you,” Meis teases as Gueira and Lio laugh in tandem with his remark.

“Hey, you know I’m the life of the party!”

“As if,” Gueira argues. “Everyone knows _I’m_ the one who gets the ball rolling and everyone pumped!

“Yeah right! What makes you think you can claim those kinds of credentials? I got a burnin’ soul!” Galo sizes Gueira up, puffing up his chest in mock challenge as the latter does the same; his eyes as red as cinnabar harboring a proud glint full of mischief and intent. Galo finds himself hiding a shudder.

“I’m from fucking Miami, that’s all the party credentials I need.”

“Yeah but—”

“The two of you can’t possibly be arguing about this,” Lio interrupts with a roll of his lilac eyes. “Go take your squabble somewhere else, you’re dampening the mood.”

Galo looks to Lio, making sure to stare right into his eyes with a pointed expression. They’ve gotten good at wordless exchanges, the duo having developed the art of silent conversations. Lio returns the gaze, letting Galo know he’d be alright being left alone with Meis, all nerves falling away from the border of his stare. Galo gives him a final smile before dragging Gueira to the other side of the bar.

“Dude, where the _hell_ have you been?” Gueira starts as the bartender wordlessly hands him another beer after asking for Galo’s drink of choice. “If I had to third-wheel for another minute I would have combusted into a giant ass ball of fire.”

“What do you mean? You could have tagged along with Varys and Remi or Lucia and Aina.”

“Yeah, but I still would have been a third wheel. You’re the only other sad single sap in the group. I have no choice but to hang around you.”

“You say that like we’re not friends! And what’s wrong with being single? It’s not so bad.”

The bartender returns with Galo’s rum and soda while Gueira chugs half his beer. “I mean, on paper it’s not so bad. But when all your friends are doubling up like they’re prepping to board Noah’s fucking Arc, it gets to you.”

Galo doesn’t know what to say to that, so he simply takes a sip of his drink and allows his eyes to wander over to Gueira. His eyes linger on the fluffy vermillion strands of hair that curl around the curve of his ear before he counts the freckles that dot along the peaks of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose like a light dusting of cinnamon. Gueira must feel him staring, though, because he quickly turns to him; a slanted crimson look piercing through Galo like a heated needle, causing little goosebumps to erupt on his skin in time with the slight flush of his cheeks.

Galo swears he sees Gueira’s face blush as scarlet as his stare.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’m not staring, we’re having a conversation!” He finishes the rest of his drink and gestures towards Gueira’s beer. “Now finish your beer so I can buy you another. We gotta fuel up if we have any chance of beating Lucia at MK4.”

Gueira laughs something hearty and homely and Galo finds that it makes his chest sing and he’s not exactly sure why. He files it away for later. “Yeah, you’re right you’re right. Next one’s on you!”

The duo chats through several more rounds, and Galo feels light and buzzed and warm and he finds that he can’t suppress the goofy grin that spreads and pushes his pink cheeks up as Gueira wraps his hand around Galo’s wrist and tugs him towards the arcade. Gueira’s calloused palm rubs against his skin and Galo wonders if the sheen glazing over those cardinal red eyes sparkling like garnet hovering over his shoulder is the result of him noticing the way Galo shivers under his grasp.

“I think we’ve fuled up enough for now, let’s show the little mad scientist crazy lady what we’re made of!”

“Yeah…” Galo responds all flustered and hot and Gueira cocks his eyebrow in curiosity, but decides to be generous and spares him the question.

They find Lucia and Aina, with Remi angrily mashing buttons on an arcade game machine as the short blonde cackles victorious. Galo and Gueira are easily defeated, of course, even when they double up and tag team, their efforts are all for naught as Lucia dares a yawn while pummeling them into defeat.

“I can’t believe you guys really _thought_ you could beat me at MK4. Fools, the both of you.”

“Ah, shut it, shorty! We’ll crush you in the next game. Right, Galo?”

“Hell yeah!”

They lose every other game the gang decides to play. Varys is a self-proclaimed air hockey master, easily demolishing both Galo and Gueira as they groan through their losses at the sound of hard plastic clanging against metal rails. Gueira dances valiantly against Aina, stomping on fluorescent arrows pointing in every direction, but after years and years of a childhood spent across the street from a run-down arcade, Aina has the upper hand and Gueira about tears out his hair before he drags Galo towards the mini basketball hoops.

“Come on, there’s _no way_ we can lose to the new love birds. I need you on your A-game, Galo!”

“I won’t let you down. I swear on my burning soul we’ll finally win a damn game.”

It turns out Galo’s burning soul is not enough to save them from the shame of another humiliating loss. Galo supposes Lio and Meis’s long, lithe fingers allow them a sort of finesse as they make shot after shot while Galo flinches at the sound of his own basketballs bouncing off the rim.

“Galo, what the hell!? With all the chiseled muscle of your physique, I thought you’d be more of a jock type. How did you lose so badly?”

“It’s simple, really,” Lio muses. “Meis and I are just that much better than the two of you it would seem.”

Galo is grateful for Lio’s interruption, because his mind can’t unstick itself from _chiseled muscle of your physique_ and the way Gueira waved his hand up and down, scaling the entirety of Galo as a faint blush bloomed on his face.

“I’ve had enough of this!” Gueira takes Galo’s hand and directs him towards another game. “We’re gonna do our own thing!” He yells as Lio and Meis laugh their way towards the pinball machines.

Galo wasn’t sure when exactly Gueira started taking him by his hand instead of his wrist, but he realizes it wasn’t the first time he felt his thumb brush against his knuckles, sending a flickering sensation of electricity that ravages his nerves.

He tries not to think too hard about it as he’s led through the fray of the bar, tries not to think of how each one of Gueira’s encouraging touches on his shoulders linger longer and longer with every game they’ve played, tries not to think of how on one or two or three occasions, Gueira’s hand found the small of his back, and he especially tries not to think about how such simple touches could elicit such strong heat starting from the base of his stomach.

They find themselves in front of the _Time Crisis II_ machine and laugh as Galo predictably claims the blue gun while Gueira takes up the red.

“God, we really are a simple pair of saps, huh?”

“Hey,” Galo responds, “being simple ain’t so bad!”

Gueira gives him an uncharacteristically soft smile and Galo thought his body would melt right through the floor. “No, I guess not.”

The pair makes their way through the game with ease, Galo finding a soft sort of solace in how well they work together, even if it’s just through a silly arcade game. They cheer and high five while clearing the game and their adrenaline is at an all time high as the screen prompts them to input their initials since they’ve made the high score list.

“We did it!” Gueira yells and he pulls Galo in for a tight embrace, who feels nothing short of breathless as their chests collide and Gueira’s arms snake their way around his neck and he doesn’t know what else to do except to wrap his own around Gueira’s waist.

They stay like that for a moment, in the dim lighting of the bar as the arcade lights flash and change color on their olive skin. The pinging noise of the game still asking for initials forces them to part and Galo finds it extremely difficult to make eye contact.

But he tries anyway, and he’s met with a half-lidded gaze as dark as merlot and a fucking _smirk_ before Gueira pulls away and proceeds to type in what was supposed to be their initials.

“Ha! Check it out, Galo. This is how we’ll be immortalized for our flawless victory.” Galo scans the screen and snorts as he notices the initials A.S.S. flashing at the top of the high score list.

“Wow, real original and mature,” he teases.

“What can I say, I’m a comedic genius.”

They cackle at their own humor before finally settling down into an awkward silence. Gueira still has the ghost of smirk playing on his face and Galo almost wants to look away before Gueira breaks the silence.

“Hey Galo, want to loosen up a little more?”

Galo bites his lip to hold back a stutter. “Do you want to get more drinks?” He answers.

“Nah, but I was thinking of something a little similar. Come with me!” And Gueira wraps his hands around Galo’s again, except this time he laces their fingers together and Galo has to force himself to direct all of his attention on walking or else he’ll surely stumble.

Of all the places Galo could fathom Gueira taking him, the bathroom at the back of the bar was the last one on his mind. Gueira gently tugs him inside before shutting and locking the door behind them.

Galo, who is still heralded as one of the saviors of humanity, swears he’s never felt his heart thump this loudly against his chest.

“Uh, Gueira? What are we doing?”

“Relax, man. We’re just gonna loosen up a bit, and we can’t exactly do this out there.” Before Galo could choke on all the possibilities of what _this_ could mean, Gueira pulls out something small and wrapped and sticks it between his lips before lighting it.

“Is that marijuana?”

“ _Marijuana?_ What are you, a cop? It’s a joint.” He takes a long drag and coughs a little before smiling back at Galo and outstretching his goods. “You want a hit?”

“Uh, well…”

“Have you ever actually tried smoking something like this before?”

“Yeah, a bunch of times!”

Gueira raises a brow, unconvinced.

“Alright, maybe just like one time.”

“Galo…”

“Okay, never!”

Gueira laughs that hearty sound full of warm mirth and Galo can’t decide between wanting to disappear from embarrassment or drown in the sound of Gueira’s voice.

“I figured as much. Well, you’re welcome to try it, but you don’t have to, of course.”

“I kinda wanna try it.” Gueira’s eyes widen at his admission and a soft smile curls on his dazed expression.

“Come here, then.”

Gueira hands him the joint and Galo almost drops it, earning him a small giggle and Galo thinks he’ll become addicted to Gueira’s laughter before he becomes addicted to any sort of recreational drug.

“Just inhale through here and make sure to actually let it settle in your lungs instead of just holding the smoke in your mouth. Otherwise, you won’t feel anything.”

Galo nods and accidentally takes a long drag, coughing uncontrollably as soon as the smoke seeps into his lungs.

“Wow, I already suck at this.” His voice is already hoarse from just one hit, but when he looks at Gueira, he’s not expecting the sincerity of his smile to send another shiver down his spine.

“Don’t worry so much about it, everyone chokes on their first try. Meis and I couldn’t stop coughing for like twenty minutes, and Lio had tears in his eyes.”

“Really? Well, then I guess I don’t feel that bad about it. Lemme try again!”

Gueira stops him. “I have a better idea. It might make it a little easier for you so you’re not inhaling more than you can handle. Ever heard of shotgunning?”

“No, what’s that?”

“Come closer, I’ll show you.”

Galo doesn’t know what to make of Gueira’s returning smirk, but obliges anyway, leaning in close enough to leave a couple inches of space in between their faces. He regrets it a little as he can no longer hide the undeniable shade of scarlet spreading on his face at this distance.

Gueira gently takes Galo’s face in his free hand and brings him in closer until their noses are barely centimeters apart. Galo relishes the calloused touch and counts the freckles sprinkled over the bridge of Gueira's nose. Sweat begins to dot Galo’s eyebrows and the back of his neck as he watches Gueira’s eyes sparkle like red diamonds at their proximity. Galo decides he smells like spiced cider.

“Open your mouth,” he instructs.

“Uh, what?”

“Open your mouth,” Gueira reaffirms. “Trust me.”

Galo _does_ trust him, he realizes. He trusts him much more than he originally thought, and so he opens his mouth and watches Gueira take another hit. He leans into Galo as if leaning in for a kiss and Galo’s knees almost buckle until Gueira gently blows the smoke into his mouth.

Galo still coughs, but not as forcefully as before. He begins to feel the effects; his head feels a little airy and he can’t help but allow a feeble giggle escape his lips. He notices their foreheads touching, the pair leaning into each other like a hazy lifeline.

“How was that, Galo? Better?”

“Yeah, can we...can we do that again?”

“Hell yeah.”

And so they continue their smokey exchange, Gueira breathing into Galo’s parted lips until the joint is spent and they’re left giddy and eager, foreheads still touching. There’s an expectant and pointed glimmer in the cinnabar hues of Gueira’s eyes, and Galo finds himself wanting his own cerulean pair to crash right into them.

“Wanna keep going?” Gueira asks.

“Didn’t we smoke everything already?”

“So?”

“Gueira, what do you mean _so_?”

“What do you think I mean?”

And Galo has to summon some kind of force of will to stop himself from audibly gasping as realization finally dawns on him.

“Yeah….I do wanna keep going, if that’s okay.”

Gueira playfully rolls his eyes before smiling. “I wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t okay.” And before Galo can retort, Gueira gently cups his face in his hands and draws him in until their lips finally collide and Galo thinks he could melt in the warmth.

It’s slow and tentative at first, the both of them searching for a good angle until their lips are perfectly slotted together, eliciting something faint and warm at the base of Galo’s stomach. Gueira courageously runs his tongue against Galo’s bottom lip, and he opens his mouth to invite him in and their tongues begin to melt into each other.

Gueira’s hands slide from Galo’s face until they’re tangled in his azure hair and his fingers ruffle through the strands until they pull, tugging a small groan from Galo, who firmly grips the red-head’s waist, any worry of bruising his skin flung out the window. They continue to kiss for some time, ignoring the angry knocks on the bathroom door as Gueira suddenly pushes Galo against the wall and shoves his knee in between his legs, forcing a small little yelp from Galo. Gueira laughs against his lips before biting into the plush of his skin and pulling away.

“Galo, you seem a little eager down there. Should we take care of that?” Gueira asks in an almost singsong tone.

“Really? In a bar bathroom?”

“It’ll be quick!” Gueira’s eyes soften before he continues, “We don’t have to if you don’t want to, though.”

Galo allows the tenderness of Gueira’s voice to sing in his chest before he answers. “I definitely want to, who cares if we’re in a bar bathroom at this point?”

Gueira’s laugh is loud and impish. “That’s the spirit!” He starts kissing Galo again, tongues immediately finding and crashing into each other. But this time his hands find themselves at Galo’s pants, undoing the button and zipper until Galo finds enough sense to do the same, hands flying to Gueira’s button until he’s stopped midway.

“Let me take care of it, you just sit there all chiseled and cute,” and _chiseled and cute_ rings in Galo’s ear and Gueira directs his kisses down his jaw until they reach his neck. They’re just chaste, sensual little things until he begins to nip bite marks all the way down to his collarbone, palming Galo’s erection in the meanwhile.

Gueira gives Galo one long and determined stroke and Galo can’t help the shameless moan he lets out which only seems to spur Gueira on as he picks up the pace. Galo clings to Gueira’s shoulder before he shoves his hands into Gueira’s hair, shivering at the velvety texture while he gently clenches the rosy strands into his fists.

He lets out another load moan, flinging his head back and arching his back a bit while Gueira rubs the moisture beading at the tip and slicking it down his shaft. He’s panting now, only able to let out quiet curses as his chest hitches at the sensation of Gueira’s grip. He lets out little _ahs_ and the occasionally _fuck_ into Gueira’s ear and the latter stops to free his own erection.

“Fuck, Galo you look and sound so perfect.”

“Don’t stop.” Galo whispers.

Gueira plants a sweet kiss on his warm cheek, and somehow that small gesture almost brings Galo over the edge. “Just give me a second.”

And Galo is grateful for his patience because soon he feels the warmth of Gueira’s shaft hard against his own as he takes both of them in his hand and strokes fast and hard. Galo doesn’t have time to be impressed at how Gueira so easily grips them both. He crashes into the crook of his friend’s shoulder, hands still fumbling through his red hair.

Soon the bathroom fills with the reverberated echoes of their panting and moaning and declarations of each other’s names; the music and the chatter of the bar all but a faraway muffle in the wake of their touch.

Gueira’s stokes become more erratic and desperate and soon Galo shudders with a particularly loud shout, vision blurring and welding together with the white fluorescent lights of the bathroom as he’s spent for all he’s worth in the palm of Gueira’s hand, who follows shortly after.

They stand there for several moments, breathing heavily in each other’s space and Galo finally relaxes his hands out of Gueira’s hair and cups his cheeks, pulling him in for a small kiss. Galo thinks he could die in the wake of Gueira’s smile, thinks he could burn in the champagne flush of his cheeks, and he knows he could lose himself in the garnet pools of his eyes.

“We made a mess,” Galo jokes.

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re in a damn bar bathroom then.”

They laugh as they clean themselves up, a newly charged energy buzzing warm and comforting between them.

A loud _thump_ on the bathroom door suggests that someone was threatening to kick it down and before Galo and Gueira can say anything in their defense, a familiar voice yells through the crack.

“Hey, assholes! Whoever you guys are, hurry up and finish fucking so I can piss.” The fury of Lio’s voice carries into the bathroom, and the duo can’t help but cackle into each other.

“Come on, Galo. I’m not facing the Boss’s wrath on my own.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”


End file.
